Token Women

Affectionately referred to as “Divas from the Dance World,” Token Women has generated a few of the most exciting tradition-rooted dance music to emerge from England before decade. Focused around sisters Jo Freya (on saxophone, clarinet, and vocals) and Fi Fraser (on violin, clarinet, and vocals) and ex-Barely Functions trombone and tuba participant Alice Kinloch, the group sparkles with instrumental virtuosity and heartfelt vocal harmonies. While deeply inlayed in the English ceilidh custom, their incorporation of varied affects led Dirty Linen to inquire if they performed “globe music for bedlam sophisticates?” and attempted to compare these to “the Poozies hijack the Penguin Café Orchestra” and “3 Mustaphas 3 trade fezzes with Blowzabella?” The Freya sisters are no beginners to English folk music. Fi previously used Old Swan Music group and on John Kirkpatrick’s Simple Capers, while Jo was an associate of trad rock and roll group Blowzabella, and is constantly on the lead her personal music group, Freya-European Women’s Music group, and Tanteeka. The Freyas collaborated on the duo recording, The Fraser Sisters, in 1998.